Acquaintance with in the region of “Turkmen Sahara”

In the north-east of Iran, between two provinces of Golestan and North-Khorasan, there is a large and untouched region (little frequented by tourists) which is called “Turkmen Sahara”. Its important cities are as follows: Gonbad Kavous, Bandar-e Turkmen, Kalaleh and Agh Qala, … The region of Northern Iran has a magnificent nature.
Thanks to its Wide area, the region has unique natural as well as historical attractions, including the tallest brick tower of the world, a large number of valleys, a mysterious old cemetery and Turkmen purebred horses, each of which is enough to motivate travelers to go there. In addition to these attractions, an interesting culture also Turkmen folk music have given a precious heritage to the Turkmen- Sahara. In Turkmen- Sahara, you can enjoy the sound of the dotar (musical instrument), the design and the colored dresses of Turkmen women.

Territory of the purebred horse’s
One of the particularities of the Turkmen- Sahara is linked to the horses that live there. Turkmen horses have long been known for their speed, endurance and courage, and under the Persian Empire, being one of the most important factors in the victories of the Achemenian army. “The Iranian horse is one of the most beautiful horses in the Middle-East and it is larger than the English racing horses”, wrote Chardin in his travel book. During your trip to Turkmen- Sahara, you can visit one of the horse breeding centers and meet the pretty creature.
Turkmen horse is purebreds, it lives and is kept in the Turkmen-Sahara region, traditionally. Gonbad Kavous is one of the most important breeding centers for Turkmen horses.

Itinerary:
First day:

-Departure from Tehran to Firoozkooh, and after breakfast, we head to Bandar-e-Turkmen to visit the Land of Horses and Dotar.
-After lunch at a restaurant, we will take a boat to trip to Ashurade Island.
-Departure to the village of Haji Ghoushan to overnight in a local house.

Second day: 

-After breakfast, we head to the mausoleum of Khalid Nabi. We visit the mausoleum of Khalid Nabi and the stone cemetery.
-Drive to Gonbad Kavous to visit its famous tower which is a world cultural heritage site.
-Return to Haji Ghoushan for dinner and overnight stay.

Third day:

-Continuation to Aliabad for visiting the fascinating Kaboudwal waterfall.
-Drive to Tehran via Behshahr city… end of our services.

Necessary items for traveling to Turkmen- Sahara
As you will be staying for a few days in Turkmen-Sahara, you will need some necessary items to have a good trip. So, if you travel to the region (located in the north of Iran) at the beginning of spring, in autumn or in winter, please take with your warm clothes to protect you from the cold. Do not forget to bring good shoes for the long walk planned on the itinerary.

Tourist attractions
Mountains of Hezar-Darreh (which means Thousand valleys in Persian) of Turkmen- Sahara, fantastic culture and Turkmen tribes, Mausoleum of Khaled Nabi, stone cemetery, Turkmen folk music, Tower of Gonbad Kavous, Ashuradeh Island, waterfall of Kabudwal, bazaar of Bandar-e-Turkmen, navigation in the Caspian Sea …

Walk in the markets of the Turkmen-Sahara : During your trip to this beautiful region which has a pleasant climate, you can go to its urban areas to buy handicrafts in its several weekly markets.

Daily markets in Turkmen- Sahara: In the urban areas of Turkmen-Sahara, the weekly market program is as follows: Saturday in Azadshahr and Siminshahr, Sunday in Kalaleh, Monday in Bandar-e-Turkmen, Thursday in Aq Qala and Friday in Gonbad. In these markets you can find typical products of the region such as red sugar, the fresh, dried and smoked fish as well as a variety of handicrafts and Turkmen clothes.

Mausoleum of Khalid Nabi: In the middle of a mountain labyrinth, there is a road that leads to a mountain called Gogjeh-Dagh, at the top of which is found the tomb of Khalid Nabi with a long history. Without exaggeration, the atmosphere looks a picturesque picture where the observer has the feeling of going through a dream!
Mysterious cemetery: Near the Mausoleum of Khalid Nabi, there are a number of stone statues reminiscent of a bizarre ancient cemetery. The cemetery dates a thousand years and it is now a national heritage.

Aq-Qala: In this area, you can enjoy the Turkmen villages by seeing Turkmen on horseback. At the entrance of Aq Qala, there is a large historic bridge to visit. After visiting Aq-Qala, you can also visit the Turkmen kilim, scarf and carpet merchants.

Kabudwal waterfall: One of Iran’s surprising foam waterfalls is Kaboudwal in Golestan Province. The landscape of the waters making its way through the velvety mosses accompanied by the song of the birds of its neighboring forest is amazing.

Local gastronomy of Turkmen- Sahara
The people of Turkmen-Sahara have a unique and special culture. This is why we should expect them to have special dishes. You should taste Turkmen traditional foods because they make soups from a variety of vegetables, tomatoes, legumes, sugar, foods that you have never tasted before.

Best seasons for traveling to Turkmen- Sahara
Due to the weather conditions of Turkmen- Sahara, the best months of year to visit the region would be between mid-April and the end of May, mid-September, October and November. At these times, a nice and pleasant climate is waiting for you. This will allow you to walk peacefully and enjoy more the beautiful nature of the region